“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
In 1997, Subaru introduced the Forester for the 1998 model year, and after 27 years and six generations, that phrase perfectly illustrates its basic philosophy.
Other manufacturers had built compact SUVs before. But when the Subaru Forester debuted, it was the first compact SUV to push past highways and paved roads and truly allow its owner to explore the wilderness. Most compact crossovers at the time were front-wheel drive with all-wheel drive as an option, but the Forester hit the dirt with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive as a standard feature in every trim level from the moment it arrived.
The Subaru Forester model’s upright, two-box design has carried through for more than a quarter century because its owners love the interior space, the 360-degree visibility from the driver’s seat and the full range of accessories that allow them to tote their favorite recreational equipment directly to the places where they recreate.
I drove the 2025 Forester in some of the most rugged territory that the 48 contiguous states have to offer: the wide-open roads and tight, muddy trails around Greenough, Montana. The Forester clawed its way through mud, rocks, and snowmelt while providing a quiet, comfortable, capable ride on the horizon-bisecting state highways of Big Sky Country.
2025 Subaru Forester Exterior
You’ll be instantly familiar with the 2025 Forester when you see it, but in every single dimension it has been refined and improved from the fifth generation, which ran from 2019 to 2024 in most of the trim levels and continues in the current Subaru Forester Wilderness. (The popular Subaru Forester Wilderness will return to the Forester trim lineup. There’s also a Forester Hybrid in the works.)
I got a first peek at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show®, but I finally put it through the paces in Montana. Available in Base, Premium, Sport, Limited and Touring trim levels, the 2025 Forester leans on its rugged performance and spacious, comfortable interior as well as its remarkable value.
From the parking lot, everything about the 2025 Forester is familiar but amplified, with a bold grille flanked by compact LED headlights for an integrated shield effect.
Everything in its design emphasizes height. Where other manufacturers offer sloped or rounded rear glass, the Forester rear gate is steep to the point of almost being vertical. This not only makes the Forester feel tall, but it also offers more room for larger items in the up to 74.4 cubic feet of cargo space for the Base trim with 60/40 split rear seatbacks down.
2025 Subaru Forester Interior
The first sense inside is also of familiarity. If you’ve spent time in a Subaru product over the last decade, you’ll know where everything is and how everything works, but look beyond the function and the form stands out like no Forester ever before.
The textured trim pieces are nicer to look at and to touch than in previous iterations of the Forester, but they’re made that way for a practical reason: They minimize scratches on the door levers and when errant gear bangs into interior surfaces. The dark headliner emphasizes the vast space inside, but it also hides scuffs from tents, snowboards and fishing rods stuffed hurriedly inside.
One of the most annoying realities of driving in the 2020s is how visibility is limited by bulky roof pillars, aggressively sloped rear windows and headrests for all five passengers. But in the Forester, there’s a feeling of uninterrupted view from the driver’s seat. Outside of a convertible with the top down, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a mass-market vehicle with this much visibility.
2025 Subaru Forester Performance – On-Road
Every 2025 Subaru Forester is equipped with a 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER® engine with 180 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, along with a Lineartronic® CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).
A note about that transmission: CVTs of the mid-2000s were way less responsive and less fun to drive than the current Lineartronic CVT. The current iteration is smooth and quiet, but the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters allow drivers to shift through eight preset ratios, which was particularly appreciated when I had to make the most use of the engine’s torque when climbing Montana’s long hills and passing slow 18-wheelers on two-lane undivided highways. In normal operation, the CVT optimizes engine rpm for the best possible fuel economy at speed.
As it has been since the very beginning, every trim of the 2025 Forester is equipped with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive along with Active Torque Vectoring, helping the Forester maximize grip around corners. Steering precision comes from a dual-pinion electronic power steering rack, which cuts down on the maintenance required for a belt-driven power steering rack. The steering system is a modified version of the one that appeared in the current WRX, designed for better responsiveness.
The available SUBARU STARLINK® 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus system with high-resolution touchscreen is equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay®1 and Android Auto™2 integration.3 The system includes Bluetooth®4 audio streaming and hands-free phone and text messaging connectivity, an AM/FM stereo, and SiriusXM®5, but to be honest, the drive was so amazing and the views so breathtaking I never even turned the audio system on. Who needs Foghat when there’s a bald eagle racing along the river next to you?
2025 Subaru Forester Performance – Off-Road
I got plenty of time to experience the quiet cabin on Montana’s state highways, but the ride to the ghost town in Elkhorn put the Forester and its stiffer platform to the test. There were sections of the road that may not have felt passable without the dual-function X-MODE® in the Forester Sport, Limited and Touring, which allows a bit of wheelspin to help the 225/55R18 Falken Ziex tires in the Limited spit out mud and grip the hard surface underneath. (The Sport and Touring trims get 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels wrapped with Bridgestone® Turanza™ rubber.)
And the Forester is more than just tall. Tall is nothing to write home about if the vehicle’s undercarriage gets hung up on rocks and roots. In every trim of the 2025 Forester currently available, drivers have 8.7 inches of ground clearance.
To put that into perspective, there are full-sized, truck-based SUVs on the market today with 8.6 inches of ground clearance. Some common compact crossovers offer as little as 7.8 inches. That’s the difference between easily clearing an obstacle and expensive undercarriage damage when you’re off the highway.
Super helpful on these tight sections of trail, Surround View Monitor on the Touring trim offers a 360-degree overhead view of the vehicle and its surroundings, combining images from four vehicle cameras to create a bird’s-eye view of the area around the entire vehicle.
2025 Subaru Forester – Standard Safety Technology
As you’d expect, the Forester has an arsenal of safety technology, featuring EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology,6 standard from the Base trim all the way up to the Touring.
The current version – which uses a familiar pair of cameras mounted on each side of the rear-view mirror – is improved to provide smooth quick operation under a greater range of conditions, with a wider field of view, updated control software, and a new electric brake booster. Cyclists or pedestrians can be identified more quickly, and the system will alert the driver and then apply the brakes to avoid or minimize the effect of collisions.
There are additional active safety features, including the Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert7 (standard on the Forester Sport, Limited and Touring, optional on Premium). These trim levels also include Automatic Emergency Steering,8 which works with EyeSight and Blind-Spot Detection to help avoid a collision within a lane by steering around obstacles at speeds slower than 50 mph.
2025 Subaru Forester – Fit for Every Adventure
Way back in 1998, I drove the first Subaru Forester model when it launched. In that Forester, and in every single successive generation, it has become undeniably obvious why people love these vehicles. They’re the Leatherman® tool of automobiles, ready to take on any adventure. With all of the comfort, convenience, safety and performance upgrades of the 2025 model year, it’s honestly the best Forester built to date.
What doesn’t get talked about enough is how great a value the Forester is. The Base trim is $29,695,* but with everything Subaru offers thrown at the Touring trim level, you’re still at $39,995.* To comparably equip one of the most common compact crossover SUVs, you’d be north of $41,000 before the destination charge. The Premium, Sport and Limited trims each have a single option package detailed below.
Whatever made the Forester such a standout vehicle in 1998 is still standard equipment in 2024. But there is a potent array of technologies at work in the current version that makes this ultimate adventure vehicle orders of magnitude more safe, more capable and efficient.
Pricing
2025 Forester Option Packages
1 Apple CarPlay® is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc. 2 Android Auto™ is a trademark of Google, Inc. 3 Compatible smartphone and application required. The MySubaru app requires Android 12+ or Apple iOS 15+. The latest app version is required for best performance. Data provided by smartphone is displayed on head unit screen. Some state laws prohibit the operation of handheld electronic devices while operating a vehicle. Smartphone apps should only be launched when vehicle is safely parked. Your wireless carrier’s rates may apply. 4 Bluetooth® is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. 5 All SiriusXM services require a subscription, sold separately by SiriusXM after the trial period. Your SiriusXM service will automatically stop at the end of your trial unless you decide to subscribe. If you decide to continue service, the subscription plan chosen will automatically renew and be charged according to your chosen payment method at the then-current rates. Fees and taxes apply. See the SiriusXM Customer Agreement & Privacy Policy at siriusxm.com for full terms and how to cancel, which includes online methods or calling 1-866-635-2349. Available in the 48 contiguous United States, D.C., and Puerto Rico (with coverage limits and capable receiver). Visit siriusxm.com/FAQS for most current service area information. Availability of some services and features is subject to device capabilities and location restrictions. All fees, content and features are subject to change. SiriusXM, Pandora and all related logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc. and its respective subsidiaries. 6 EyeSight is a driver-assist system that may not operate optimally under all driving conditions. The driver is always responsible for safe and attentive driving. System effectiveness depends on many factors, such as vehicle maintenance, weather, and road conditions. See Owner’s Manual for complete details on system operation and limitations. 7 Blind-Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert are systems designed to assist the driver by monitoring the rear and side areas of the vehicle during a lane change or reversing and are not a substitute for safe and attentive driving. 8 Automatic Emergency Steering is a system designed to assist the driver. It is not a substitute for safe and attentive driving. Automatic Emergency Steering works in conjunction with and after Pre-Collision Braking has been activated by providing steering support at speeds lower than 50 mph to try and help avoid a collision. See Owner’s Manual for complete details, including important system limitations. Availability varies by trim level. 9 Harman Kardon® is a registered trademark of Harman International Industries, Incorporated. * MSRP does not include destination and delivery charges, tax, title, and registration fees. Destination and delivery includes handling and inland freight fees and may vary in some states. Prices, specifications, options, features, and models subject to change without notice. Select colors may be subject to an additional charge. See your retailer for more information.
